Anchovies and Sack. 
377 
pocket by the Prince and Peto, we find that anchovies 
were appreciated as a relish by the valiant knight. Peto 
reads:— 
“ Item, a capon, 2s. 2 d. 
Item, sauce, 4 d. 
Item, sack, two gallons, 5s. 8c?. 
Item, anchovies and sack after supper, 2s. 6d. 
Item, bread, ob. 
Prince. O monstrous! but one half-pennyworth of bread to this 
intolerable deal of sack! ” 
(1 Henry IV., ii. 4, 584.) 
In a discussion between the hostess of an inn and her 
servant, in Thomas Hey wood’s play, The Faire Maid of the 
West, this delicacy is again mentioned :— 
“ Clem. Then for twelve penyworth of anchoves, 18c?. 
Besse. How can that be ? 
Clem. Marry, very well mistresse, 12c?. anchoves, and 6c?. oyle and 
vineger.” 
Muffett writes:— 
“ Javelings or sea-darts are plentiful in the Venecian Gulf and 
all the Adriatique Sea, where having taken the young ones, they 
salt them and send them to Constantinople in infinite numbers for 
anchovaes; the greater sort they fry and boil at home.” ( Healths 
Improvement , p. 154.) 
Eels were found everywhere, both in fresh and salt 
water, and were much esteemed. They were 
generally roasted fresh, but were sometimes ~ 
salted. The conger was also considered a choice dish. 
Randle Holme gives the following names for the 
eel:— 
“ An eel, first a fauser, then a grigg, or snigg, then a scathing, then 
a little eel; when it is large, then an eel, and when very large, a 
conger.” 
The city of Ely is said to have been so named from 
rents being formerly paid in eels, and Elmore on the 
Severn obtained its name from the immense number of 
